Machine for sewing shoes or sole units



April 1950 K. A. STRITTER 2,505,158

MACHINE FOR SEWING SHQES 0R SOLE UNITS Filed March 8, 1946 s sheets-sheet 1 J0 ,3 JO 2 I Inventor w I 10 .fiarZAtS'frifier 16' v April K. A. STRITTER MACHINE, FOR SEWING SHOES OR SOLE UNITS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1946 In ventor K. A. STRITTER I MACHINE FOR SEWING SHOES 0R SOLE UNITS 3 Sheets-Sheet 15 April 25, 1950 Filed March 8, 1946 Q44 10 12 Fi'9 Event or Q Karl A5iriiier lll/lll llm ll l/// Patented Apr. 25, 1950 i? 1* MACHINE FOR SEWING SHOES OR SOLE UNITS Karl A. Stritter, Nahant, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application March 8, 1946, Serial No. 652,945

5 Claims. (Cl. 11252) The present invention relates to machines for sewing shoes or sole units therefor, more particularly with reference to that class of shoes or sole units commonly designated as being of the platform type.

In the manufacture of platform shoes, it is the practice to provide a relatively compressible and porous platform member to which is secured a thin outsole of good wearing qualities. For the purpose of protecting the edge of the platform member against absorption of moisture and entry of objectionable liquids and to provide an ornamental effect, a binding is applied to the edge of the platform member in the form of a strip cut to the proper width to enable overlapping the marginal portions of the platform member.

The application of the binding to the platform member in a platform type shoe, according to one manner of common procedure, requires a preliminary or intermediate wrapping step in the process of manufacturing the shoe, before the sole unit comprising the platform member is ready for incorporation in the shoe. Another manner of procedure is to sew or otherwise attach one edge only of the binding strip to the platform member during the process. of assembling the shoe. After assembly of the shoe the binding strip is wrapped or lasted over the sole member until its opposite edge is carried along the opposite side of the platform member, usually before the outsole is attached. Such methods of procedure in the'manufacture of platform shoes requiring separate operational steps and special manipulation of the binding strip are advantageous for bringing out certain desirable characteristics in a shoe, particularly when a light-, weight, trim appearance is sought. In former shoemaking processes heretofore practiced, special manipulation of the binding strip thus has frequently rendered the construction of platform type shoes somewhat more complicated and expensive than is justified by the wearing qualities furnished by such shoes.

It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide a novel machine for assembling the parts of a platform type of shoe or sole separate operational steps requiring extensive manipulation of the binding strip.

The features of the invention are useful either in, the construction of a complete platform type shoe or in the assembly of a platform sole unit for such shoe and reside in a, construction having a needle and other stitch forming devices, a work support, and a presser foot, in which an edge binding guide is arranged in advance of the stitch forming devices and is provided with ears spaced to surround the marginal portion of a platform member in such way that an outsole or other parts of a shoe including a welt, upper or the outsole may be assembled together while applying at the same time the binding strip to the platform member to the exclusion of the outsole or welt. When a sole unit only is being sewn, one of the ears on the platform edge binding guide is located within a recess in the work support so that the platform member can be presented to the machine with one surface engaging the work support and with its edge embraced by the ears on the binding guide, the other ear on the binding guide entering between the outsole and the platform sole comprising the sole unit. When all the parts of a complete shoe are being assembled together, the binding guide is spaced from the work engaging surface of the work support sufliciently to enable the outsole to pass between said ear and said work support surface instead of being arranged with one ear within a recess in the work engaging surface of the work support.

-With the arrangement of the machine thus described, a shoe may be constructed by wrapping the binding strip about the marginal portions of the platform sole only and leading it into the seam being inserted to join the parts into a unitary construction, the seam passing through all the parts and both edges of the binding strip simultaneously. In this way, the binding strip is applied and sewed in place without separate operational steps of applying the binding strip to the platform edge or of lasting and wrapping the binding strip over the platform edge preliminarily to sewing. To assist in assembling the parts the outsole is secured temporarily to the platform member along its central portion but is unattached along its marginal portion. By so doing one ear of the binding guide passes easily between the marginal portions of the parts to exclude the outsole from being wrapped by the binding strip.

A cemented shoe, which may be manufactured economically according to present-day production procedures with the novel machine, consists of a sole unit comprising an outsole, a compressible platform member having its edge bound with a flexible strip, and a relatively stifi welt connected together along the edges of thebound.

platform member in overlapping relation to the binding strip by stitches passing through the parts, and an upper unit having an upper formed with its marginal portions directed inwardly toward each other and cemented to the inner edge of the welt. Preferably the stitches are inserted through the edges of' the binding strip-to, unite the parts still more securely together and to provide a firm gripping surface for the cement. For this purpose, the machine, hereinafter more fully described, is provided with avweltguide. in addition to the edge binding guide, the edge bind ing and the welt being applied while attaching the outsole to the platform member;

These and other features or the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the" art from a consideration of thefiollowing detailed; specification, claims and drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in right side elevation'ofpon tions of a shoe sewing machine together with a cross-sectional fillustrationgofiaeplatforrrrtsole-unit being. operatedsupon according to one of the features: of the; present: invention;

Fig; ;2.is;a perspective view of aasole unit, partly broken awaygindicating itseposition onth'e work table on supportrduring" sewing: operations. of the machinezillustrated injFi'g; 1'

- Fig.1 is; a.;sectional:"view-:ofva; shoe, indicating its sewinga position on. aiework table of: a modified construction:employedcon themachine .of Fig. 1;

Fig; 4i is a: perspectiveview ofia sole-unit, includir'rgza platform sole member assembled with anazoutsole ready forzsewing in'the machinef E18; 1;

Fig; 5 is aL-sectional?views-of th'e sole unit' of Fig. 4;.

Fig. 6: is;a;1 perspective view of the sole unit of Figs- 4: with a:.welt': after. being I sewn by the ma chine;

Fig; Tissa sectional view-of a novel'cement shoeconstructed. withxthe :use "of a sewed sole unit of i Fig 6;

Fig. 8cis aep'erspective vieweofashoe similar to: that: of:Fig.j 3; indicating themethod of applying the-binding:- strip tothe :platform: sole member;

Fig; 9jzis a. sectional=-tview"of a shoe upper: unit ccmprisingr: a-ipart .OfithB shoe-illustrated in Figs 3 and -.8.;:;

Fig.1 10 is; a: sectional. view-"offth'e shoe of Figs. 3;: and; 8:. after. assembly of the: upper unit of Fig.'9.;i=

Fig; 112 is talmodified forrn of shoe-in -whicli the platform bindingustripz'haszone :of its edges. inserted=..between-. the welt and platform: memberofga-iGioodyear:typetof shoe and th e otheredge. betweenijanoutsole:and platform member, duringpractice: of the method of the present invention;

Fig; 5 12 isaa;sectiona1i-vi'ew. of a: similar form of a shoe having; an ornamental' seam; and i Fig, 13 is; a..detail view of a. ShOEi'ShOWIl in section: illustrating. the -manner of operation of" a? special adaptation of i the: machine embodying the .presentainventi'on.

Aashoenof the platform type ordinarily is de signed for 'light weight sportswear and is usually---= constructed: from? inexpensive: materials to meet aalowrpriced .fi'eld inthe -mark'eti Accordingly-y for a successful manufacturing procedure such shoes must be constructed-with-a minimum of laborrequirements and handling ope-rations; One-problem in the consti-u'ction'of 1 shoes of thistype is in the application"of 'aibinding strip -to the edge of the platform 'mem'b'er employed in the". sole unitiof 'the'shoe. Not :only is-it necessary to apply thelbinding strip to the platform member-' =g'uide in the -m'anner illustratedi but an outsole also must be connected to the platform member to provide suitable wearing qualities in the sole unit. For applying the binding strip a lockstitch sole sewing machine is employed, equipped with a guide for wrapping the strip about the edge of the platform member While at. the same: time? insertingiaseam connecting the platform member with the outsole, the binding strip being applied to the platform member to the exclusion of the outsole.

Referring, moreeparticularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of thIeEdrawirigs, an outsole shoe sewing machine is illustrated similar to that disclosed in United States- Letters Patent No. 1,169,909, granted i- February 1", 1916-, upon an application filed in the name of "FredAshworth, and No. 2,271,611, rantedrFebruary-fi; 1942, upon an application filed in the names of Fred Ashworth et al. To ena'bleafiat, unattached sole unit, comprising a compressible, porous platform member indicated at lll and -a'n outsole" I 2 to: bezpresented to: the machine and to? be. sewn'; in' flatteneda condition by th'e machine; thermachinelist provided with a: worksupport or tables Me'having. aifiattop of substantially greater surface area than thatuob the conventional .work': supportain United States Letters-. Patent No:. 2334299, granted- November: 1 1943;upone an application: filed inwthe name of Carl aF; Whitaker: The. stitch f orming devices of the imachineinclude alcurved hook port andflis held clampedf betweenithe work. sup:-

port and the frame:of tlie-machine'. with its i-binde ing strip guiding portioni just "above andito the:- rear of 'the-work-support:" The binding is in the? form of 5 a:- comparatively fiexible'-fabric= or light leather strip 2'6 of 'awidtl i sufficient to cover the." edge of 'th'e-platform- -member I0 and to overlap: the-marginal portions of the i platform member when'wrappedabbutitsedger To holdthe binding;

strip 2fi uniformly -in 'fiattened -condition and to fore *its movement-intotheguide 2'4, a comb-like retainer 28 is' -securedto the' work table 14, be tween upstanding teeth-' of T whih retainer the strip passes.-'

The binding guid Z 4 is of' a conventiona-l form with a pair'of-"hollbw ears 30 and32 "arranged above the worl? support-to =surroundth'e-marginal portion of the platform memb'er'; Tfi'e -guide'-=is secured to' the machine frame-and 'disposed' With its lower ear fii fitting within a suitably shaped recess=3 cut below-'tlie' level fof the 'work 'engag-- ing surface of"the-=worlf-'support-'- Th'e platform member ispr'e'sentdto' zi the" work upport' and passes --readily between the ears of 'the' binding' 753 secured togetheralong their midportions by cementor a number of wire staples 36 passing through the parts at a distance from the edges thereof, thus providing a free space along the marginal portions of the parts for insertion of one edge of the binding strip. When the sole unit comprising the outsole and the platform member are presented to the machine, entry of the platform member between the ears of the binding guide 24 causes the adjacent edge of the outsole to be raised from the platform sole to admit entry of the upper ear 30 of the guide, as shown in Fig. 1. During sewing operations, the ear 30 remains between the outsole and platform member, and the presser foot causes the outsole to be re-engaged with the platform member beyond the guide for the insertion of stitches, as shownin Fig. 2. By this construction, a seam 4| is readily sewed, the stitches of which pass through the outsole, the platform member, and the edges of the binding strip, which binding stripoverlaps the marginal portions of the platform member to the exclusion of the outsole, as illustrated also in Fig. 8.

To complete a cemented shoe, an upper 38 and an insole 49 are applied to and stretched over a last 42 and its marginal portions are directed inwardly toward each other along the tread surface of the last to form an upper unit. After suitable roughening operations, the upper unit may be cemented to the sole unit in the relationship illustrated in Fig. 7.

For the construction of a shoe according to a convenient form of procedure, the upper unit is provided with its upper outflanged as in a stitchdown shoe. In Fig. 9, the outflanged upper is indicated at 44, and a stitchdown midsole at 46 surrounding a last 48, suitable fillers or insoles being provided as required. The platform member and the outsole l2 temporarily connected as in Figs. 4 and 5 are then located in position on the upper unit 44, 46. To connect the sole and upper units temporarily, tacks 50 are driven into the last 48 and the parts are presented to a sewing machine similar in most respects to that illustrated in Fig. l. The machine is operated to attach permanently the upper unit and sole unit with through-and-through stitches and at the same time to apply the binding strip to the edges of the platform unit and the upper unit to the exclusion of the outsole, a indicated in Fig. 10.

To enable the platform member and outfianged marginal portions of the upper to be included in the binding of the shoe sole unit illustrated in Fig; 10 and the shoe parts to be sewed together in a single operation, according to a modified embodiment of a machine comprising the invention, the binding guide 24 of the machine in Fig. lis' raised to bring the lower ear 32' of the guide out of the recess 34 in the work table l4 and to space the guide from the table a distance equal to the thickness of the outsole l2. Thus, in presenting the shoe to the machine, it is necessary to hold the shoe with the outsole engaging the table l4 and the marginal portion of the outsole entering the space between the lower ear 32 of the binding guide and the table. In this way, the outsole is excluded from the edge binding operation.

Another type of shoe of similar nature to that illustrated in Fig. 10 is shown in Fig. 12 wherein an unlasted upper 52 is formed with its marginal portions outflanged and temporarily connected to the marginal portions of a thin midsole 54 having attached thereto a filler 56. Thereafter,

the platform member and outflanged edge of the upper are bound together and an ornamental seam 5'! is inserted of the nature of that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,339,525, granted January 18, 1944, upon an application filed in the name of the present inventor.

Another type of shoe which may be constructed economically accordingto the present invention is best shown in Fig. 11. This shoe is of the Goodyear welt type having a lasted upper 58, an insole 6E] and a welt 62 connected together by an inseam 64. For sewing this type of shoe, the machine is provided with a table 66 having a wedged-shaped, crease-entering forward edge to fit within the angle between the lasted upper and the welt, as shown in Fig. 13. In the machineof this figure the binding guide 24 is made separate from the table and the lower car 32 of the guide is spaced from the table a distance equal to the thickness of the welt 62. The upper ear 35 of the guide is disposed to fit between the platform member I6 and the outsole I 2 of the sole unit. In this way, the platform member only has its edges wrapped by the binding strip while the marginal portions of the welt and outsole are exposed. One advantage of a shoe construction of this type is in the application of a cemented on outsole.

For convenience in attaching the binding guide 24 to themachine, the guide is formed with a perforated shank portion, illustrated in Fig. 8, which is clamped between the frame of the machine and the work support. The perforations in the shank portion of the guide provide sumcient clearance with the clamping screws therefor so that suitable vertical adjustment is afforded between the guide and work support.

In the construction of a platform type of shoe in which the upper unit and sole unit are connected together with cement and the cement is bonded directly to the platform member, if the platform is composed of loosely matted, fibrous or porous material, a secure union of the parts is difiicult to obtain on account of the looseness of the fibers at the surface of the platform member. Along the marginal portions of the platform member, a bond is obtainable at the edge of the binding strip with which the platform member is wrapped but the strength of the binding strip itself may be comparatively limited and, as soon as it becomes worn, it presents a point of weakness.

To obviate inherent weakness of this nature, according to the present invention, a feather edged welt 68 is provided composed of relatively stiff leather (see Fig. 6). This welt is attached to the margin of the sole unit outside the binding strip with heavy stitches passing through the portions of the welt which project outwardly beyond the upper. When the upper unit is shaped with its inner edges directed inwardly and is cemented to the inner edge of a separate stiff welt, the strength of the connection between the parts of the sole unit with the welt are no longer dependent upon the strength of the platform binding strip. Furthermore, the welt reinforces the edge of the platform member to cause it to retain its shape to better advantage than heretofore, and the appearance of the shoe is correspondingly enhanced. Also, desirable ornamental effects may be produced by employing contrasting colors in the various shoe parts.

For applying the feather edged welt 68 to the sole unit, the table l4 of Fig. 1 is provided with a.

welt guide it: arranged todirectthe weltto; the

sewing point outside the binding- :s'trip. 'With such arrangement. the binding strip; platform sole, welt and outsole areiirmly knit into a rigid unit "for further construction iOfi thief-shoe.

-:By employing a. work table 56 with a crease entering forward edge, a shoe of the type :ailltistratedjin Fig. 10 may ':be'presented;with its outsole uppermost, as :in Fig. 3. Forsome: purposes; such a manner of presentation is advantageous, particularly where. there is a necessity for gspecial attention and treatment of- -the .Qutsole during the sewing operation. With :a shoe 'sewedpinthis position, it is necessary to lower the binding guide to bring its lower ear=32 to thesame level as'the supporting surface of the work support. With this arrangement, it may be necessary to {cut away a portion of thegupper surface of the work table 'close to and in "advance of the point of needle-operation.

Certain features disclosed :in 'the present specification are more particularly described and claimed in an application forming-a continuationin-part of the present application, Serial No. 6,8,13'1,ifi1ed'DecemberBO, 1948, relating tomethods of-making shoes.

'The nature and scope of the invention having been-indicated and particular procedures andembodiments of shoes and machines having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

1. A machine for sewing the marginal portions of an outsole and a platform member, having a needle and other stitch-forming devices, {a work support and apresser foot, in ,comb'ination with an edge binding guide arranged in advance of the-stitch forming devices and provided-with-ears surrounding the marginal portion of the platform member'to-the exclusion of the outsole'whlle sewing the outsole and :platform :member together, and a guide in thework support-for directing a welt into the-point of needle-operation outside the binding strip.

2. A machine for sewing the marginalportions of an cutsole and-a platform member, having-a needle and other-stitch forming devices, a work a support and a .presser:fot,,in=combination with anedge binding guide arranged in advance of the stitch forming devicesandprovided withears surrounding the marginal portion of the ,platform member, one of which ears enters'between the outscle and the platform member to cause 'a'binding strip in theguide toibe wrappedabout the marginal portions of the platform member to theexclusion of .theoutsole while sewing the .outsole and platform member together, and a guide the work ,mppor'tfordirecting a welt into l he point of ,needleoperation outside the binding Strip.

.3. A machine j'for sewing the marginal portions of" an; outsole and a platform member having a,

needle and other stitch forming devices, a work support formed with areeessw in work engaging surface in advance of the stitch forming devices, anda presser foot,in combination with an edgelbinding, guide arranged with ears surrounding'the marginaliportion of the platform member, one of which-pars enters between the outsole and the platformmemle and the t er of wh c ears extends into the recess below the level of the :work e a ing surface. of the workv supp rt to cause the -marginal portion of the platform member to bebound to the exclusionof the outsolewhile sewing the-outsoleand platform member'together.

4, A'machine for sewing the marginal portions of the'welt on a welted-upper and a two-part'sole unit composedof an outsole and a, platform memher, having a needleuand othe stitch forming devices, av work support, and a 'presser foot, in combination with an edge binding guide arranged in advance of the stitch forming devices with ears surrounding the marginal. portion of the platform member, oneof which ears enters between the outsole and the platform member to cause a binding strip in the guide tube wrapped about the marginal portions:ofthe-platform memher to the exclusion of the outsole, and the other of .whichears is spaced from the Work engaging surface of the worksupport sufficiently to cause said other ear to enter between the platform member and the welt while sewing the welt, outsole and platform member with a-single seam.

5. A machine forsewing the marginalportions of, a platform member having a needleand other stitch forming devices, a work support and a presser foot, in combination with an edge binding guide arranged inadvance of the stitch forming devices andprovicled withears surrounding the marginal portion of theplatform member during sewing, and a guide in the work support for directing a welt toward the point of needle operation outside the binding strip.

KARL ,A. STRITTER.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

"UNIT-ED STATES PATENTS "Number Name Date 2 1 0 n e .----.--o a 9 2,370,937 Cocozella Mar. 6, 194 5 2,398,475 'Stritter Apr. 16, 1946 2,428,431 Murphy Oct. 7, 1947 :FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 113,854 Australia Sept. '11, 19.41 

